Fireworks
by CBratter
Summary: Booth and Parker offer Bones an invitation on the 4th of July. Bones/Booth


I don't own Bones, any of the characters, or the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (the basis for the Jeffersonian festival in the story)

* * *

Temperance Brennan was alone in the Medico-legal lab, in fact, she wondered if aside from security there was anyone else in the whole of the Jeffersonian. It was a national holiday, after all. She closed her notes on the body she had just identified from "Limbo". She wasn't quite comfortable with the term, but Angela was right it did seem appropriate for a place that housed unidentified remains.

Now that she was finished, she debated what to work on next. Her new novel had been giving her some trouble lately so that didn't seem an appealing option. Neither did moving onto another unidentified body. As she was almost regretting turning Angela down on the invitation to go to Hodgins' place for a BBQ and fireworks, she heard her name bellowed through the lab, "Hey Bones, where are you?"

Rolling her eyes she called back, "I'm in my office, Booth." She pushed the files in front of her to the side and stood up as Booth followed by his son, Parker, entered her office.

"Hi Bones," Parker greeted.

"Hi Parker, what are you guys doing?"

Booth stood back and let his son do the talking; he had a feeling Parker would be more successful in the completion of their goal than he would. "We are going to go to the celebration on the mall and watch the fireworks and everything. I wanted to invite you to come with us. My dad said you didn't have any plans so can you come with us? Please?" Parker rattled off looking at Brennan with an imploring look.

She looked at Booth who was smiling and let out a half laugh half sigh sound before saying, "Sure, Parker I would love to join you. Let me just grab my stuff."

Parker beamed at his father. He loved spending time with Bones, she was one of the few people with whom he didn't mind sharing his time with his father. He knew his dad liked having her around, too.

Brennan grabbed her purse and joined Booth and Parker where they stood near the doors out of the Jeffersonian. They walked out of the building and into the beautiful July afternoon.

"So what are we doing?" Brennan asked. She always avoided the National Mall during times such as these and was a bit hesitant at what to expect.

"I thought we could start off with the Folklife Festival since it is right here," Booth said glancing around. "Parker is excited about the NASA exhibit they have this year."

"I actually wanted to see the exhibit they have on Bhutan. It looks to be very interesting," Brennan added.

"Come on, let's go!" Parker exclaimed grabbing both of their hands and pulling them towards the exhibits.

They started off at the NASA Kid Space booth. Parker dragged them past the Celebration of Texas Music, Food, and Wine with Booth trying to stop off for some Barbeque, then past the Bhutan booths where Brennan craned her neck to take in some of the cultural aspects. They would come back to it they knew.

At the Kid Space Booth Parker got a "Mission Guide" pamphlet to lead him the rest of the way through the exhibit. They went to every booth, where they did everything from make craters to studying the food for outerspace. Brennan smiled as she watched both Parker and his father design space vehicles. Booth was having as much fun with it as Parker. After visiting every NASA booth Parker was bouncing up and down gripping his prizes and explaining how he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up.

"Bones?" Parker asked as they walked towards the Bhutan exhibit. "You know a lot about this kind of stuff right?"

By stuff she assumed Parker meant different cultures, such as the Bhutanese culture. So she replied, "Yeah Parker, I know a lot about it."

"Can you teach me while we look at the exhibits?" Parker beamed up at her as he asked.

"Sure Parker. I would love to." Brennan was always impressed by Parker's desire to learn new things. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Booth smiling as Parker grabbed her hand and pulled her to the family area where he received a treasure map to use around the exhibit.

After drawing and painting in traditional Bhutanese style, designing postage stamps, making biscuits, and learning about the eight lucky signs, Booth who had grown frustrated while they were trying to speak Dzongkha went off to eat some cheese and chilies. Despite his decidedly stronger talents for the language than his father, Parker grew tired of learning new words and drug Brennan on to learn some traditional dances.

Despite the culture being appealing to her, Brennan felt no need to dance in public so opted to stand back and watch Parker. During his enthusiastic moves, he turned to wave to her. She smiled and waved back. The woman next to her turned to her and said, "Your son is very cute."

"Oh he isn't…" Brennan found herself flustered by the woman's mistake but was about to say, 'Thanks, but he isn't my son.' When Parker, beginning to wear out, came over and leaned against her hugging her around the waist. The woman smiled and walked away. Looking down at Parker, Brennan brushed the hair out of his face and said, "Let's go find your dad." Parker just nodded in response.

They found Booth over by the food drinking a beer and snacking on some Bhutanese food. "Hey there you two," he greeted them. "Should we go sit down and eat some dinner?"

After they finished eating Parker asked, "Dad, can we go get ice cream and get a spot to watch the fireworks?"

"Sure," Booth started to stand up.

"Well, thanks for inviting me to hang out with you guys. I'll let you have some boy time to watch the fireworks." Brennan started to gather her stuff together.

"Bones, you aren't going to watch the fireworks with us?" Parker asked. "Do you have something else you have to do?"

She turned to him and saw that he had a slight pout on is face, then looking at Booth she laughed realizing he was mimicking Parker and pouting, too. "Yeah, Bones you have somebody cooler than us to hang out with?" he asked.

"Do you?" Parker asked genuinely.

"Of course not Parker, I'll stay and watch the fireworks with you," Brennan replied.

As they walked toward the Lincoln Memorial, Booth asked, "So Bones, where are your dad and Russ tonight?"

"Russ, Amy, and the girls are back home and Dad is down there visiting them," she replied. Booth recognizing the sadness in her voice put his arm around her shoulders and gave a little squeeze. "I'm okay Booth, I am just glad that they are all okay and safe."

Booth was about to voice his thoughts when Parker interrupted, "Ice cream, Dad look. Can I have two scoops? Please?"

"Sure, tonight you can have two scoops," Booth replied as they got in line at the ice cream cart.

"I think I want chocolate with peanut butter and cookies and cream. What kind of ice cream are you going to have Bones? My dad likes chocolate and coffee kinds. What is your favorite?"

Thinking for a bit Brennan answered, "I usually like the berry flavors of ice cream, like strawberry or blackberry. But I don't need any ice cream tonight."

"You have to have ice cream it is a tradition. Right dad? We always have ice cream while we wait for the fireworks," Parker said looking back between Brennan and his father.

"I'm afraid he is right Bones, it is tradition. So what will it be?" Booth asked as they reached the front of the line.

"The blackberry and cream, I guess," Brennan answered examining the flavors quickly.

"Alright, one cone with a scoop of Cookies and Cream and Peanut Butter Chocolate," Booth began to order and Parker nodded enthusiastically. "A cone with Blackberry and Cream?" he asked looking a Bones to make sure the order was okay. She nodded. "And another with Mocha Chip," he finished.

The young man served all their ice cream and they continued on their walk. Booth held Parker's ice cream for him while he ran around a bit. "Parker, stay where I can see you,' Booth called out as Parker disappeared for a minute in the crowd.

Finally they reached the Lincoln Memorial, already crowded with people ready to watch the fireworks. Parker appeared to be an expert at this and after looking around was quickly pointing out an available location to his dad and Brennan. "Look Dad, Bones, over there's a spot." There was a gap on two steps right by a wall.

"Alright Parker, that looks like a good one," Booth said following Parker towards the spot. Brennan stayed close behind them, not sure about her comfort level in this kind of a crowd.

As they settled into the spot Brennan sat down on one of the steps and Parker asked, "Bones, can I sit on your lap? Please?"

She smiled; it was nice to feel so appreciated by Parker. "Sure Parker," she said moving her arms so he could settle onto her lap. Booth handed Parker his ice cream and settled into a position standing in front of where they sat leaning against the short wall.

They talked and ate their ice cream as they waited for the fireworks to start. Booth enjoyed watching Parker and Bones interact. She was getting a very thorough education on Spiderman and seemed to be completely enthralled. He never heard her once try to explain to Parker that a radioactive spider couldn't turn a teenage boy into a superhero. Despite the fact, he was sure that her completely logically and academic mind wanted to desperately.

"Then he goes like this and the web goes _whoosh_ out of his hand and then he can swing on it or use to catch bad guys," Parker said excitedly. Booth smiled as Brennan, completely focused, watched Parker illustrate the way Spiderman shot webs out of his hands.

When Bones looked up at him and saw him smiling down at her she was surprised to find herself blushing a bit at the way he was watching her, and even more surprised to see him blush, too. Parker, completely oblivious to the exchange between the adults, continued his explanation of Spiderman. Booth and Brennan nervously glanced back and forth at each other, adverting their eyes when they made contact with the other.

The awkwardness faded within a couple of minutes, and soon Parker was not only done with his explanation but with his ice cream, too. "Dad, I'm done," he said standing up and holding out the napkin and paper wrapping from his ice cream. Booth observed Parker, his face and hands covered in ice cream. He laughed a bit to himself then licking one of the spare napkins he wiped Parker's hands and face clean.

This time it was Brennan's turn to watch the interaction between father and son. She smiled. There was something about the way Booth was with Parker. It was impressive. Not in the same way as when he took down a criminal or figured out something particularly challenging about a case, but in a different way. Almost more impressive than anything else he did. When Booth looked up and they made eye contact, they both blushed slightly again. This time, however, neither one of them looked away. Instead their eyes locked and Booth smiled softly, soliciting a smile from Brennan as well.

Just then the lights began to dim. "Fireworks," Parker squealed, sitting back down on Brennan's lap. The wind began to pick up making Brennan shiver a bit and wrap her arms around Parker, more to keep herself warm. He didn't even seem to notice.

Booth noticing Bones' chill wished he had a jacket to offer her, but DC in July didn't usually elicit a jacket. Instead he moved around behind where she and Parker sat and nudging her forward onto the next step sat down behind her with a leg on either side of her body. After he was settled there, he worried that perhaps he had crossed a line. But sitting there getting ready to watch 4th of July fireworks with his son sitting on her lap, it had seemed a completely natural thing to do.

Brennan tensed for a moment too, but then as if she were hearing Angela's voice in her head she thought, _just_ _go with it_. She leaned back against Booth's chest and let the warmth of his body radiate onto her back.

As the fireworks started, Parker gasped excitedly. The colors lit the sky and everyone around them grew silent. "Bones look at that one," Parker exclaimed as a firework burst in the air and the sparks flew every which way. He pointed with one hand and squeezed her hand with the other.

"That was a very beautiful one Parker," she replied. Booth smiled as he watched her squeeze Parker's hand back. Almost unconsciously he reached out with his hand and grabbed a hold of her other hand and gave it a squeeze. He was surprised when she squeezed his hand back and kept a tight hold on it as the fireworks burst overhead.

During the first five minutes of the firework show Parker's excitement increased. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and almost bouncing on Brennan's lap. "If he is getting too heavy or annoying I can take him," Booth whispered in Brennan's ear.

"He's fine. I actually like it. His enthusiasm is a bit contagious," Brennan answered leaning back so Booth could hear her better. "I am glad I am watching fireworks with you and Parker, Booth." She squeezed his hand as she said it, ignoring the voice in her head worried about crossing "the line". Instead, she took Booth's advice and ignored her brain and listened to her heart.

"I am glad you are here too, Bones," as he whispered into her ear he wrapped his free arm across her stomach and pulled her closer to him.

"When I was a kid the 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays, I think it might be again." With that she let her head rest on Booth shoulder, her cheek pressed against his neck, and watched the fireworks illuminate the sky. Parker continued to be enthralled by the show, completely oblivious to any interaction between the adults.

The fireworks continued for another ten minutes, with Parker sporadically asking if they had seen one of the fireworks or saying a new kind was his favorite. Booth and Brennan split their focus between watching the fireworks and casting glances at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

As the fireworks increased in intensity indicating the approach of a finale, Booth decided he needed to put to action the thought he had been having even since Bones laid her head on his shoulder, before his chance was over. He shifted his head slightly and then with a quick breath pressed his lips against hers.

She stiffened as if in shock, worrying Booth that he had made the wrong move. But he figured _in for a penny in for a pound_ and held his ground. As if it took her body a minute to catch up to her head, she finally relaxed and he was almost shocked to find her kissing him back. What surprised him even more was that Brennan was the one who deepened the kiss.

She was shocked at first, but she figured she needed to follow the advice she had started the night with, _just go with it_. As Booth had continued to kiss her, instincts had kicked in and she had realized just how much she wanted to kiss him back. So she did. Opening her mouth slightly and grabbing his lower lip between her own.

Pulling away at the same time before things got too intense they smiled at each other. He kissed her gently one last time and she returned her head to his shoulder as the fireworks reared up for the grand finale. Booth wrapped his arms around both Parker and Bones pulling them back so Bones was leaning against him and Parker against her. Watching the fireworks finish he thought that it might be a perfect moment.

* * *

I've given some thought to continuing this even though it was meant to be a one shot. Let me know what you think.


End file.
